


McChekov

by theslashbunny (theplotbunny)



Series: Team McCoy: Relationship Origin Stories [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Blurring the lines of professionalism, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 01:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10583871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theplotbunny/pseuds/theslashbunny
Summary: Losing a patient to another physician hurts. It hurts even more when the relationship seemed to have been going so well.





	

**Author's Note:**

> As some of you know, I was a member of Team McCoy during the 2011 Ship Olympics over at st_respect. For the second event, the prompt was: "Origin Stories. Tell us how your ship came to be." Since we were a multi-ship team, we decided to do a 5+1 format with a different pairing for each section. cookiechris80 wrote the intro and closing, smokiquartz wrote McPike, our captain redtapestry wrote McUhura, and buhnebeest wrote the +1 of McCoy and his daughter. I ended up writing Leonard and Jocelyn, McChapel and McChekov. I'll be posting all three of my origin stories here. If I can find the others, I'd love to link to them here, so I'll see if I can find them on AO3.

Really, it shouldn’t have hurt when he saw it. It was Chekov’s right to choose any of the qualified medical doctors aboard his assigned vessel to be his primary care physician. Leonard was nothing if not professional, but he couldn’t keep from questioning himself. Had he said something that had made Chekov uncomfortable? Had he blended the lines between friend and physician during an appointment or exam? He didn’t think he had. And if he’d ever broken doctor-patient privilege, well, he’d report _himself_ for such a serious breach of his oath. So why had Chekov changed his medical profile?

And what should he do about it? Obviously, he’d never try to change the kid’s - no, _man’s_ (he was nineteen now, after all) - mind, but he wasn’t sure if he should ask him if there was a problem. What was the protocol behind something like this? Should he not mention it? Should he try to apologize for whatever might have gone wrong?

Leonard shook his head to clear it, marking that notification as “read” before trying to focus on the next. He really shouldn’t be dwelling on this. It was pathetic. But it still bothered him, because he could only think that he must have done something to cause it. He’d thought they were friends. They were spending more time together lately and not just sitting in the same room while they spent time with their mutual friends. Hell, just two weeks ago they’d eaten dinner together, without the rest of their friends. It was one of the nicest evenings he’d had in a long time.

But... maybe he’d been the only one who’d label them as “friends”.

///

Leonard didn’t see the Russian genius for another three weeks, a fact that did nothing to ease his mind, which in turn was a fact that irritated him even further. Jesus, it wasn’t like he’d never see him again if he wasn’t his doctor! An away mission that turned into a diplomatic action kept the Bridge Crew busy and when it turned into an aid mission, the series of vaccinations and health checks required to allow the necessary Engineering and Science personnel to go planet-side, followed by the inevitable and necessary treatments for injuries and allergies, kept the entire medical staff on their toes.

So, after the three weeks of non-stop patients, as he was finally sitting down in his office trying to get some of his backlog of files finished, he was not expecting Chekov to walk through the door of his office when he heard the chime. Everything that he’d possibly thought to say during those three Chekov-less weeks flew right out of his head as he was left staring at the young man just inside his doorway. Staring at the young man who was just standing there, looking increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze. As his brain rebooted, he realized that maybe he should do something about that and gestured for Chekov to sit down in one of the consult chairs. As soon as his rear hit the cushion, the young man was speaking.

“Doctor, I-” Well, trying to speak. The poor kid - no, _man_ , dammit, he wasn’t a _kid_ , as he’d insisted so often, especially recently - was obviously still uncomfortable and Leonard could only imagine that he was trying to tell him about whatever way he’d offended the curly-haired genius. Deciding it’d be more humane to let Chekov put his thoughts together and speak first, Leonard took the time to look at him. In the three weeks - no, four, since he hadn’t seen him the week leading up to the notification - well, in however long since he’d last seen him, Chekov had thinned a little and cut his hair a little shorter and Leonard found himself missing the mop of curls. And then mentally kicking himself for missing them. He looked tired - the mission must have run him ragged, but Jim didn’t look that haggard. Maybe Leonard should ask him about his sleep after this conversation. Or rather, put a note in _Dr. M’Benga’s_ inbox about checking on Chekov. In the time it took Leonard’s emotions to go from worried to mildly annoyed, Chekov seemed to have focused himself and spoke again, returning Leonard to a state of concern. “Doctor, I wished to speak with you about … Well, I wanted to apologize for not informing you in person that I was changing my primary care physician from you to Dr. M’Benga. It was rude of me and it has nothing to do with your skill as a doctor and -” Chekov cut himself off again and Leonard had to force his expression to remain calm. Shit. That meant that he’d done something outside of his capacity as a doctor - something that had forced Chekov to feel uncomfortable with him _personally_. And he still _had no goddamn clue about what it was!_

He silenced his mental tirade against himself as the soft Russian tenor continued once again, “Well, um, _sir_ , I’m not entirely sure that the rest of this conversation is appropriate for your place of work and - “

Screw what would be more humane for Chekov! Leonard needed to know what the hell he’d done to the poor ki- _dammit! Man, not kid!_ \- before he worried himself to death with another examination of his own behavior! He managed to keep his voice calm as he interrupted with the standard _This is a safe space..._ speech that was about all he thought he could manage with a steady voice.

“Ensign Chekov -” Did he just flinch? Why did he just flinch? “Whatever you say in this office is between you and me, you know that. No one is going to hear you and you’re not going to offend me -” Again, the doctor was not expecting it when Chekov interrupted him, standing up.

“This is part of the problem with having this conversation in your office. Here, I am ensign and you are lieutenant commander and I am patient and you are doctor, and that is not conducive to what I want- what I need to say to you!” He was blushing and obviously embarrassed and all Leonard’s brain could come up with was, _God, it’s adorable when he says “conducive”_. Chekov looked like he was going to bolt by the time Leonard was finished mentally slapping himself and stood up as well.

His brain finally functioning again, he went to the other side of the desk, tactfully ignoring the fact that Chekov looked like a cornered deer as he approached him, and sat down in the second consult chair, gesturing for Chekov to again take his previous seat.

“Okay, then, Chekov -” He was interrupted again, by a still clearly-flustered Russian.

“No. Pavel, please. We are friends, yes?” Leonard mentally composed himself before trying again, and this time his voice wasn’t so steady.

“Okay, then, _Pavel_. We’re equals. Just two guys talking.” Yeah, just two guys talking. Bullshit. Two guys talking about something serious enough to fluster a man who had successfully saved two falling comrades from their deaths using just his genius brain and a transporter without breaking a sweat! Che- _Pavel_ took a breath before continuing.

“ThereasonwhyIchangedmyprimaryisbecauseit’sunethicalforadoctortodatehispatientandIwantedtoaskyouifyouwouldgoonadatewithmeduringshoreleavenextmonth!” Apparently he’d taken such a big breath because he didn’t intend to breath again for a while. That was both impressive and unnerving. The accent just made it even more unintelligible.

“What?” Pavel took another deep breath and closed his eyes before making another attempt.

“The reason why I changed my primary is because it’s unethical for a doctor to … date … his patient and I wanted to ask you if you would … go on a date with me during shore leave next month.” His voice had failed him a few times and it had faded significantly by the end of the sentence, but he’d valiantly managed to get his point across.

Leonard felt like he’d just been slapped. He apparently took too long to speak again because soon Pavel was speaking hesitantly, again looking like he wanted to run far _far_ away and never look back.

“Doctor?” Leonard thought he should _really_ be slapped for what slipped out of his mouth next.

“That’s it?” Pavel looked like Leonard had just killed his puppy. “No! I didn’t -” And now Chekov looked like he was trying to shore himself up against the tears that threatened to fall because what he apparently thought was a rejection. So, what did Leonard do? He reacted with the emotion that came easiest: annoyance. “Dammit, Pavel! I’m not sayin’ no! It’s just that I spent that last three damn weeks thinkin’ that I’d offended you somehow and, I gotta say, hearin’ what it really was... Well, it’s kinda anti-climactic.” Of course the young man fixated on just one part of that sentence, looking for the first time in the last ten minutes like he _wasn’t_ about to vomit all over the floor.

“Not saying no?” Now he looked downright hopeful. “Does that mean you’re saying yes?”

Well, damn. Now that Leonard thought about it, he guessed he was.

“Hell, why not?” Jesus, that smile could power a starship. “Just as long as you stop calling me ‘Doctor’.”


End file.
